Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Powerful Video Of Pro Basketball Star Coming Out As Gay To His Teammates Has Fans In Tears

Powerful Video Of Pro Basketball Star Coming Out As Gay To His Teammates Has Fans In Tears
@IsaacHumphries7/Twitter

Former NBA player Isaac Humphries came out to his Melbourne United teammates in an emotional locker room speech.

*The following article contains discussion of suicide/self-harm.

Isaac Humphries, a professional basketball player for Melbourne United–which is part of Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL)–came out as gay with an emotionally powerful speech in front of his Australian league teammates in their locker room.


"This is probably going to be one of the hardest conversations I'll ever have in my life," said the Sydney native, "but life is about doing hard things and learning from them and making a difference through those hard times. So bear with me."

The 24-year-old–a 7 foot center who previously played for the Atlanta Hawks and the University of Kentucky–said he "fell into a very dark place, a very lonely place" that didn't allow him to be who he was.

As a result, he said that he attempted to take his own life.

"The main reason behind me becoming so low and being in that point is because I was very much struggling with my sexuality and coming to terms with the fact that I'm gay."
"And I hated it about myself. I was disgusted at myself."

You can watch his speech, here.

Humphries touched on the stigmatization of being gay within the realm of sports that forces many closeted athletes to repress their identity out of shame and at the risk of losing their careers.

"I thought that I could not be that person within our environment and within our basketball environment."

Humphries said his wake-up call wasn't until he was in a community full of “pride and happiness and joy”–that was revealed as Los Angeles in an open letter.

"But then came the big question of how do I be a basketball player and how do I join a new team when I've finally come to terms with this about myself and I don't want to hide who I am anymore."

Holding back tears, he said that if we was to join a team, he was going to come out publicly and make sure people know they don't have to hide who they are "just because you're an athlete."

"But I do want to say that we, as professional athletes, we have a responsibility to set examples for people."
"And the truth is there are so many people in other worlds that are struggling every single day and don't know how to get up. Don't know how to exist. And I know how that feels, and I want to represent those people."

He added:

“That’s my goal behind this, [to] make sure people know that you can be whatever you want, no matter who you are and what you do."
"It has nothing to do with your sexuality or who you are or who you’re meant to be or who you’re expected to be. I just want to be myself."
"I’ve discovered this is my purpose in life, and I’m going to give it my best go.”

The inspirational video concluded with fellow teammates applauding him–many even offering him hugs.


Twitter gave him props for opening up about his struggles.









Following his speech, retired NBA star Jason Collins, who came out as gay while an active professional player, lauded Humphries on Twitter.

Thank you, Isaac, for your courage, for speaking your truth, and for letting others who may be struggling know they are not alone.

Hopefully, one day, we can all openly and unapologetically live as our authentic selves without having to explain it to the masses.


LGBTQ+ Youth can get help through:

More from News/lgbtq

Jesse Watters
Fox News

Jesse Watters Dragged After Adding Another Mind-Boggling Rule For 'Real Men'

Fox News host Jesse Watters, who is apparently an authority of what it means to be a manly man, gave jazz hands to make a point about how "real men" should or shouldn't wave.

The target of his ridicule was Tim Walz, the enthusiastic Democratic Minnesota governor and vice presidential candidate who often greets the public by raising both hands in the air to wave.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of crowd at town hall and Rep. Mike Flood
@MorePerfectUS/X; KETV NewsWatch 7

GOP Rep. Goes Viral For His Response To Crowd Chanting 'Tax The Rich' At Town Hall

Nebraska Republican Representative Mike Flood was criticized following his incredulous response to a crowd that chanted "Tax the rich!" during a town hall meeting.

The Columbus High School auditorium hosted the town hall on Tuesday evening, drawing "nearly 380" attendees, according to local network KETV Omaha. The event was lively, with Flood facing both sharp criticism over Trump administration policies and some appreciation for showing up in person.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Awkward Typo In Elon Musk's Bizarre 'Education Department' Trump Meme Is A Total Self-Own

Billionaire Elon Musk was widely mocked after he celebrated President Donald Trump's executive order to begin to dismantle the Department of Education (DOE) by posting a meme of Trump at the department's grave, only for an awkward misspelling to get all the attention.

Polling indicates that eliminating the Education Department is largely unpopular, with 60% of registered voters opposing the move, according to a Quinnipiac University survey conducted March 6-10. Support stands at 33%, with opposition particularly strong among Democrats—98% oppose it, while just 1% support it.

Keep ReadingShow less
JB Pritzker; Donald Trump
Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Dem Governor Reveals Trump's Bonkers Demand In Exchange For Equipment During COVID

Illinois Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker revealed during a speech this week that he clashed with President Donald Trump during the first Trump administration after Trump promised necessary medical equipment during the COVID pandemic on the condition that Pritzker praise him publicly.

Five years ago, the United States was grappling with the initial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The country had entered shutdowns that had severe economic consequences, leaving businesses and industries on the brink of collapse.

Keep ReadingShow less
Scrabble tiles spelling the word scam
Scam spelled with scrabbles on a wooden table

People Break Down How They Realized An Entire Industry Was A Total Scam

We unfortunately live in a world where scams are on the rise.

Thankfully, some of them are pretty easy to detect, such as an automated call from the IRS telling you a warrant is out for your arrest, or an email claiming to be from Amazon or the USPS asking for your credit card information, only to look closer and see the email address is a yahoo account.

Keep ReadingShow less